In Vietnam, the Hmong people are one of the largest ethnic minorities (around 900,000 people). They are principally concentrated in the mountainous north of the country and usually live at high altitudes. Different ethnic categories co-exist and can easily be identified by the way they dress and their traditions.

The Black Hmongs are best known for their handicraft and their traditional indigo blue dress. Flower Hmongs, on the other hand, wear colorful clothes, and it is not difficult to find them during market days.

Nowadays, Hmong hotspots such as Sapa are becoming large tourist attractions. On market days, the town is completely crowded with Western people looking for handicraft works, the exotic and all things genuine – although Sapa remains completely empty during the week. A new form of income has appeared which is transforming the Hmong people’s way of life and ancestral traditions little by little.

Known in China as Miao, which is a term to define all the different ethnic minorities, Hmong people mainly come from southern China. They had to flee from there during the Ming and Qing dynasties, after they rebelled against Chinese imperialism 300 hundred years ago. They eventually found asylum in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The Hmong history remains difficult to trace because their tradition is an oral one, but they are still identified as Hmong, thanks to their language, traditions and way of life, which they have succeeded in preserving.

Even if some Hmong people have traded their traditional clothes to get Western attire, they definitely understood that opportunities for a new market economy were offered to them. In Sapa, the market is crowded every weekend with Western tourists surrounding themselves with as many traditional Hmong people as possible! Silver jewellery and handicraft works are a great success among the tourists. For the Hmong this is also a way to promote their culture and discover their traditions. However, tourism has had a strong impact on their culture and does disrupt their traditions.

Traditionally, the man and husband’s duties consist in looking after the entire family, taking the main decisions and responsibilities concerning the safety and welfare of the family. As far as they are concerned, women have to play the perfect housewives, taking care of their children and preparing and cooking meals. The handicraft work, like making handmade traditional clothes, is also a part of their job. However, important changes in this traditional structure have been observed recently, mainly since the intrusion of tourists in North Vietnam. Being the money provider had always been the husband’s role. This is not always the case anymore. At Sapa market, which is the biggest Hmong hotspot in North Vietnam, the place is crowded with dozens of Flower Hmong women selling their jewellery and patchworks with which to trap Western tourists. The scene is, in fact, quite funny.

Thanks to this new form of income, Hmong people have been diversifying their traditional way of life. For ages, Hmong people subsisted with their harvests, mainly thanks to the culture of rice. Along the road, tourists can see small wood houses surrounded by fields for terrace cultivation. Here, there is no electricity or water access either; everything is archaic and simple. From their buses, some tourists might think that these landscapes are the exact definition of paradise. The place is wonderful and quiet, surrounded by Vietnamese mountains, lost between the fields. It is indeed truly awesome.

What follows is a prime the example of one location representing two different realities according to who is looking at it. A small group of tourists has been

invited to spend the afternoon in a Hmong house as described above. A pig was

sacrificed for them. The tourists are mainly chatting with the Hmong woman, who

explains how things have changed for them. She had to learn English to sell her

products at the Sapa market, but the situation is still difficult. Her husband,

who was the head of the family, now has a minor role. He started drinking a few

years ago and now she has to provide for the entire family by herself. This is an example of how difficult life has sometimes become for them. It also reflects how brutal the social changes have been in a short period of time.

Hmong people have always been known to be good at adapting while preserving their way of life, but the Western intrusion has created new needs and new habits. Vietnam, which is still a communist country, opened its door to tourism a while ago, and even if North Vietnam remains quite traditional in comparison with the south, times are definitely changing faster than the time it takes to realise it.

Hmong cuisine is influenced by the counties they migrated to during the war. They consist of many spices and herbs. Chilies, cilantro, ginger, green onion, garlic, mint, fish sauce, and oyster sauce are very popular ingredients. Their three meals always include a portion of white rice and some hot sauce (kua txob) to add some fire to their meals. Most meals will also include a small portion of meat and a few vegetables.

Typical dishes are either boiled, steamed, or stir fried. Hmong meals are considered very healthy. In their native countries, they grow all their herbs, spices, and vegetables. They also usually keep animals such as chickens, pigs and cows on hand. Here in the US, most

Hmong still try to stay true to this. Many families typically still grow their own gardens with native herbs and spices and harvest the seeds for the next year. They also will butcher their own meats, usually with another family to fill up their freezers. This reduces chemicals and cost for Hmong families.

Hmong families typically do not have a breakfast. Sure, they may eat in the mornings but what it consist of does not differ too far from what they eat for lunch and supper. Another difference is that Hmong families typically do not make or eat desserts. For special

occasions, they will sometimes make a dessert called Nab Vam. Nab Vam, called Tri-Color in the US, is served cold and typically consist of tapioca pearls and tapioca strings in three different colors. It also has coconut milk and caramelized sugar to sweeten it up.

There are more and more Hmong restaurants sprouting up in heavily Hmong populated areas. A dish that is common in areas that Hmong people may be is Pho. Pho is a soup that consists of rice stick noodles, beef steak, beef flavor paste, green onions, cilantros, chili

oil/paste, and then you decide what other flavors you would like to bring in. Other ingredients would include, but definitely is not limited to, are sugar, lime, chili, and bean sprouts. This recipe definitely comes from the Vietnamese but has also been perfected by Hmong people and seasoned to their taste.

Boil 4 cups water and 2 cups sugar together until color of honey and all sugar is dissolved, burns very easily so watch closely.

Boil tapioca using directions from package. Drain and run water through a couple of time to keep them from sticking together.

Thin out your coconut milk by adding 1 can water to the one can of coconut milk.

If making individual servings, put ½ cups of the different colored tapioca in cup, add ½ of coconut milk mixture, add 2 tablespoons of honey, and ice. One drop of banana extract can be added at this point. Stir together and serve with spoon. You can also add just about any fruit of your choice. Cantaloupe, honeydew, and lychee are pretty common.

Traditional Hmong Recipe for Hot Sauce

Thai Chilies

Fish Sauce

Optional additional ingredients:

Lime

Cilantro

You will find this hot sauce at every Hmong home you visit. Most families, like my wife’s family, have a year supply in the freezer. It is made with Thai Chilies, also known as Birds Eye Chili. They can be found at just about any Asian market or with most Hmong families that have a garden, these chilies take up a big chunk. You can make as much as you like but it is very simple and easy to store for long periods of time. Take the amount you want and take the stems off. Throw in blender until evenly chopped. Not liquid. This can be stored in the freezer and small amounts can be served with fish sauce at every meal. You can also add lime and cilantro to change it up. Again, you will find this recipe at every traditional Hmong household.

*Wash your hands after every encounter with Thai Chilies. They are very hot!

Using a stew pot, fill ¾ full of water. Add lemon grass and all the pieces of chicken. Add a teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Soup is finished when chicken is fully cooked. Taste liquid to see if more salt or pepper is needed. This traditional Hmong recipe is always served with rice with this poured on top and a couple pieces of chicken to be eaten like a soup. Most Hmong families will have this meal once a week. It is easy on the stomach and a Hmong staple.

H’mong people are an important member in the community of ethnic minorities in Vietnam with about one million people, ranked 8th among 54 Vietnamese ethnics. They often occupy the upland areas, from 800-1500m above the sea level, mostly in the Northwest and a few in the central highland of Vietnam. You can easily spot them in Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Sa Pa, Lai Chau, Son La and several other provinces.

Their language family is Hmon-Mien, yet the language is a non-written one. Hmong people have a very extraordinary culture that is still vividly seen today. The best time to visit the Hmong is during the Lunar New Year in late January or early February - when they would celebrate the 3-day Tet festival. During the festival, they often cheerfully blow “khèn” (their special woodwind instrument), play swings and other traditional games and sing in the large yard around the village.

“Cướp vợ” (Stealing Wife) is another special H’mong’s custom: when a man loves a woman, he must ‘steal’ her in the darkest night and imprison her without food for 2-3 days; if the woman accepts to marry him, he will come to her family to ask for her parents’ permission.

H’mong people believe that they have a common ancestor so they greatly value unity in their community. Several families gather into a cluster and has a leader responsible for common works. As for costumes, H’mong people usually wear their self-woven clothes made by linen, decorated with unique technique to express their strong ethnic characteristics. They drink corn, rice wine, smoking cigarettes using plow. Meanwhile, if you are a guest who is invited a self-loaded plow by a H’mong, you should take it as a friendly fondness.